Quebec pie-throwing group targets Pettigrew

Launching job guide

Pierre Pettigrew, the Federal Human Ressources minister, gets a pie in the face before a press conference in Montreal yesterday. The writing on the pie plate reads "On behalf of the unemployed."

Montreal -- Pierre Pettigrew, the federal Human Ressources Minister, has become the latest public figure to get a pie in the face.

A member of Entartistes du Québec, the pie-throwing group that targets public figures, landed one on Mr. Pettigrew as he was getting ready to attend a news conference to launch a guide to 120 professions that provide excellent job opportunities.

Mr. Pettigrew had time to clean up before the announcement.

Other prominent Quebecers to be attacked with pies recently include Jacques Parizeau, former premier of Quebec, Pierre Bourque, Montreal's mayor, and Jacques Duchesneau, a former police chief, who was hit while running against Mr. Bourque during last fall's municipal election campaign.

Yesterday's launch of the guide was delayed by a few minutes because of the incident.

The group was protesting against rules that have made it more difficult for people to collect employment insurance, it said later in a press release.

Le Guide Practique des Carrières d'Avenir lists 120 job categories that it says are among the best bets for young people looking for a secure future.

Elevator mechanics, dairy farming, the wine-serving business, and embalming are on the list, as are industrial design, welding, psychiatry, and aeronautics.

Government and business representatives at yesterday's launch hailed the guide as an important tool for encouraging young people to stay in school.

"It's a breath of fresh air", said Diane Lemieux, Quebec's Employment Minister.